This is actually something I've been thinking about for a while now. I think if I found a watch in the sand I would probably be walking with someone on the beach, probably the very love of my life, and then I would see the watch lying there with the sand all around it. The sight would compel me to say something along the lines of "like sands out of the hourglass so are the ends of the days of our lives."

She wouldn't notice the watch, she wouldn't make the connection with Days Of Our Lives. She would simply hear a vaguely threatening statement and, her sense of self preservation immediately springing into action, would run away screaming, never to be seen again. I wouldn't try to follow her. Running in the sand is difficult and sometimes chasing just makes things worse. I would simply sit down right there on the darkening beach, alone with a watch lying beside me, and ponder the loss of my one joy in life as the incoming tide lapped around my feet.

Did you know that in Little Gray Rabbit, Hare once tried using his pocket watch to stir tea? This silly act caused his watch to stop. Now, here comes the interesting part: one day afterwards, while he was at the sea, he dipped his watch into the salty water, and what do you think? The watch was cured! It was truly a grand day for him.

All this talk of watches and sand and the transient nature of the phenomenal world, make me want to really savor the short time I have on this planet. I am now resolved to never click a link on an internet message board ever, no matter how intriguing that link may be; I will spend the time I save nurturing human relationships or interacting with the real world in a meaningful way.

Thank you caroline100. I see that the link was really a test--an invitation to a richer life. I will not click it. When I am old I may return to this page and gaze upon the link, letting it remind me of the commitment I made so many years ago.